England stars Ben Stokes and Gus Atkinson have been pulled out of their ongoing County Championship matches after a request from the England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB), a move that has fuelled speculation that both players could return for the third Test against New Zealand at Trent Bridge next week.Neither Stokes nor Atkinson played in the second Test after they breached the team curfew while celebrating England’s victory in the series opener at Lord’s. With stand-in captain Joe Root leading an inexperienced side, England struggled against New Zealand at The Oval and faced a difficult final day.Before being withdrawn, both players had impressed for their counties. Stokes turned out for Durham against Northamptonshire and bowled 25 overs on Friday before smashing 95 runs in an entertaining knock on Saturday. National selector Marcus North was among those watching his performance.Atkinson also made his presence felt for Surrey against Glamorgan, claiming four wickets for 61 runs. Following the ECB’s request, Stokes was replaced by Colin Ackermann in Durham’s playing XI, while Tom Lawes came in for Atkinson at Surrey.
Questions remain over curfew breach investigation
Although England head coach Brendon McCullum had earlier voiced concerns over Stokes’s mindset, Durham coach Ryan Campbell offered a different view. “All I have seen is the same old Ben Stokes who loves being the Durham dressing room, who loves being around a cricket ground and who hasn’t missed a beat,” he added.According to reports in the English media, the ECB is still investigating the pair’s breach of curfew, and no decision has been announced yet. Likewise, England’s squad for the third Test has not been confirmed. Any update on the matter is expected only after the conclusion of the second Test at The Oval.Meanwhile, England suffered a crushing 253-run defeat to New Zealand at The Oval, squandering the momentum from their Lord’s victory as the series was levelled 1-1 ahead of the decisive third Test in Nottingham.
